The Top 7 Things to Avoid at AWS re:Invent 2017

The sixth annual AWS re:Invent is less than a week away, taking place November 27-December 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Designed for AWS customers, enthusiasts, and even cloud computing newcomers. The nearly week-long conference is a great source of information and education for attendees of all skill levels. AWS re:Invent is THE place to connect, engage, and discuss current AWS products and services via breakout sessions ranging from introductory and advanced to expert as well as to hear the news and announcements from key AWS executives, partners, and customers. This year’s agenda offers a full additional day of content, boot camps, hands-on labs, workshops, new Alexa Hack Your Office and Smart Cities hackathons, a Robocar Rally, and the first ever Deep Learning Summit. Designed for developers to learn about the latest in deep learning research and emerging trends, attendees of the Deep Learning Summit will hear from members of the academic and venture capital communities who will share their perspectives in a series of thirty-minute lightening talks. To offer all of its great educational content, networking opportunities and recreational activities, AWS is practically taking over the Las Vegas strip, offering an expanded campus with a larger re:Invent footprint and more venues (not to mention a shuttle service!).

2nd Watch is proud to be a 2017 Platinum Sponsor and attending AWS re:Invent for the sixth consecutive year. With every re:Invent conference we attend, we continue to gain unique insight into what attendees can expect. Similar to last year, our seasoned re:Invent alumni have compiled a list of TheTop 7 Things to Avoid at re:Invent 2017 and we hope you find the following information useful as you prepare to attend AWS re:Invent next week.

1. Avoid the long lines at Registration (and at the Swag Counter!)

The re:Invent Registration Desk will open early again this year starting Sunday afternoon from 1pm-10pm, giving attendees a few extra hours to check in and secure their conference badges. Registration Desks are located in four locations this year—Aria, MGM Grand, Mirage, and The Venetian—so no matter where your hotel room is along the strip, you’re sure to find a Registration Desk close by. This is particularly helpful so that you don’t have to schlepp around all that conference swag you will receive upon check in. As always, you can’t attend any part of re:Invent until you have your conference badge so be sure you check into Registration as early as possible. This will also ensure that you get the size shirt you want from the Swag Counter!

Expert Tip: Like last year, AWS has added an additional level of security and will be printing each attendee’s photograph onto their badge. Avoid creating a backlog at the registration line because you have to have your photo taken on site. Take a few minutes to upload your photo prior to re:Invent here. BONUS: By uploading your own photo, you make sure to put your best face forward for the week.

2. Avoid Arriving Without a Plan:

The worst thing you can do at re:Invent is show up without a plan for how you will spend your week in Vegas—that includes the breakout sessions you want to attend. With expanded venues and a total of over 1,000 sessions (twice as many as 2016), more hands-on labs, boot camps and one-on-one engagement opportunities, AWS re:Invent 2017 offers more breadth and depth and more chances to learn from the experts than ever before.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out the AWS Event Catalogue and start selecting the sessions that matter most to you. While you’re building your session schedule, might I recommend adding 2nd Watch’s breakout session—Continuous Compliance on AWS at Scale—to your list of must attend sessions? This session will be led by cloud security experts Peter Meister and Lars Cromley and will focus on the need for continuous security and compliance in cloud migrations. Attendees will learn how a managed cloud provider can use automation and cloud expertise to successfully control these issues at scale in a constantly changing cloud environment. Find it in the Event Catalog by searching for SID313 and then add it to your session agenda. Or, click here to skip the search and go directly to the session page.

Expert Tip: Be sure to download the AWS re:Invent Mobile App. Leveraging the mobile app is like having your own, personal re:Invent assistant for the week and will hold your re:Invent schedule, maps from venue to venue, all other activities and reminders, providing a super helpful resource as you navigate the conference. Android users click here to download. Apple users click here to download.

3. Avoid Avoiding the Waitlist

AWS re:Invent 2017 is SOLD OUT and we anticipate nearly 50,000 people to be in attendance this year. That means, if you haven’t already built your session agenda for the week, you’re likely to find that the *ONE SESSION* you needed to attend is already at capacity. Avoid missing out on sessions by adding yourself to the waitlist for any sessions that you really want to attend. You will be surprised by the number of people that “no-show” to sessions that they have registered for so don’t be afraid to stand in line for that all-too-important session.

4. Avoid Not Knowing Where to Go

As mentioned previously, the re:Invent campus has expanded, yet again, this year and there are a few more venues to note when preparing your event schedule. Spanning the length of the Las Vegas strip, events will occur at the MGM Grand, Aria, Mirage, Venetian, Palazzo, Sands Expo Hall, the Linq Parking Lot, and the Encore. Each venue will host tracts devoted to specific topics so to help you get organized—and map out your week, literally—here’s what you can expect to find at each venue:

Once you’ve nailed down where you need to be, be sure to allow enough time to get from session to session. While there are breaks between sessions, some venues can be a bit of a hike from others so be sure to plan accordingly. You’ll want to factor in the time it takes to walk between venues as well as the number of people that will be doing the same. As re:Invent continues to grow in size, you can certainly expect that escalators, elevators, hallways, sidewalks and lengthy shuttle lines are going to be difficult to navigate. To help you get a sense of standard walking times between venues, AWS has put together a nifty chart that details all the travel information you might need (minus any stops on casino floors or crowds of folks clogging your path).

This year, AWS is offering a shuttle service between venues if you don’t want to walk or need to get to your next destination quickly.

AWS recommends allowing yourself 30 minutes to travel between venues and is providing the following shuttle schedule to help you get from Point A to Point B:

Sunday, November 26: 12PM-1:30AMMonday, November 27: 6AM-12:30AMTuesday, November 28: 6AM-10PMWednesday, November 29: 6AM-12:30AMThursday, November 30: 6AM-12:30AMFriday, December 1: 6AM-3PM

Expert Tip: If you need to get from The Palazzo to The Venetian and want to avoid navigating the casino floors, restaurant row and the crowds around the entrance to The Sands Convention Center, head to the Canyon Ranch Spa from either hotel. From the Palazzo, the spa is located on the 4th floor and from the Venetian it is located on the 3rd floor. The spa connects both venues through a series of long, colorful and rarely traveled corridors making the trip quick and easy for those who don’t mind taking the road less traveled. Not to mention, this route can also offer a moment of peaceful sanity!

5. Avoid Sleeping In, Being Late, or Skipping Out Entirely

With so many learning and networking opportunities, it’s easy to get caught up in exciting—yet exhaustive—days full of breakout sessions, hands-on labs, training sessions, and of course, after-hours activities and parties. Only you know how to make the most of your time at re:Invent, but if we can offer some advice…be sure to get plenty of sleep and avoid sleeping in, getting to sessions late or worse…skipping out on morning sessions entirely. Especially when it comes to the keynote sessions on Wednesday and Thursday morning!

AWS CEO, Andy Jassy, will present the Wednesday morning keynote, while Amazon CTO, Werner Vogels, will present on Thursday morning. Both Keynotes will be full of exciting product announcements, enhancements, and feature additions as well as cool technical content and enterprise customer success stories. Don’t be the last to know because you inadvertently over slept and/or partied a little too hard the night before!

Customers don’t need to reserve a seat in either of the keynotes, however, there is a cap on the number of attendees who can watch the keynote in the keynote hall. Keynotes are offered on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to get there early.

Expert Tip: If you don’t want to wait in line to sit in the keynote hall, AWS will have many options for watching the keynote in overflow rooms. If you’re still groggy from the previous night’s events, the overflow rooms are an ideal place where you can watch the keynote with a bloody mary, mimosa, or coffee.

6. Avoid Being Anti-Social

AWS re:Invent is one of the best locations to network and connect with like-minded peers and cloud experts, discover new partner offerings and, of course, let loose at the quirky after-hours experiences, attendee parties, and partner-sponsored events.

Avoid being anti-social by taking advantage of the many opportunities to network with others and meet new people. AWS has some great activities planned for conference goers. To help you play hard while working harder, here is a list of all the fun activities that are planned for re:Invent 2017:

2nd Watch After Party
When: Wednesday, November 29, 9PM-12AM
Where: Rockhouse at the PalazzoClick here to be added to the 2nd Watch After Party Waitlist (see “What to Avoid #3 above if you’re hesitant to be waitlisted)!

re:Play Party
When: Thursday, November 30, 8PM-12AM
Where: The Park at the Linq Lot

Expert Tip: Don’t forget to bring plenty of business cards. With so many people to meet, opportunities to connect with peers and experts, and after-hours parties to attend, you’ll want to make sure to pack extra cards to avoid running out early in the week. When you receive a business card from someone else, try to immediately take a photo of it with your smartphone and save it to a photo album dedicated solely to networking. This will ensure that you have the details stored somewhere should you happen to misplace an important contact’s business card.

7. Avoid Forgetting to Pack That All-Too-Important Item

Whether you’re staying at The Venetian, Mirage, Encore, or other property, your hotel room will be your home away from home for nearly an entire week. Of course, every hotel will have in-room amenities and travel essentials, but inevitably, we all will forget that one important item that we won’t be able to live without, especially for an entire week. Our experts have pulled together a check list to help you pack for your trip and ensure you have all the comforts of home and office during your week in Vegas.

Your Favorite Toiletries:

Not everyone is in love with the in-room toiletries that hotels have to offer in each of their suites. If you have a favorite, be sure to bring it. Here is a quick list to ensure you don’t forget something:

Shampoo

Conditioner

Soap

Shave Cream

After Shave

Razor

Deodorant

Lotion

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Mouthwash

Floss

Hair Styling Products (if that’s your thing)

Contact Case & Solution

Spare Pair of Contacts

Cologne/Perfume/Body Spray

First Aid:

Whether your headache or hangover cure calls for Aspirin, Ibuprophen, or something stronger, it’s a good idea to pack your preferred treatment along with any other first aid remedies and prescription medications you might need. Band Aids, blister protectors, and anti-histamines are also recommended.

Chapstick & Lotion:

It is the desert, after all, and with dry air circulating throughout the venues, your skin (including your lips) is bound to dry out. We recommend bringing medicated Chapstick and fragrance-free lotion (fragrances in most lotions can often dry out your skin even more!) and keeping a spare with you at all times.

Breath Mints and/or Mint-flavored Gum:

No explanation necessary.

Business cards:

This is a repeat from one of our other tips but an important one to remember, so we don’t mind mentioning it again.

Chargers & Battery Packs:

Nothing is worse than being in between sessions with a 10% cell phone or laptop battery and realizing you left your chargers back in your room. We recommend bringing at least two phone chargers and two laptop chargers: One for your room and one for the backpack or briefcase you’ll be carrying throughout the conference. Additionally, while there will be several charging stations throughout re:Invent (and outlets on most every wall), it’s a good idea to bring a battery pack with several hours of charging time just in case you can’t find an open spot to plug in.

Water Bottle:

You will definitely want to stay hydrated throughout the week, and the tiny cups offered at the water stations just won’t quench your thirst quite the way you will need them to. It’s a good idea to pack a water bottle (we recommend one that can hold 17 oz) so that you avoid having to refill often and have plenty of thirst-quenching liquid to keep you hydrated throughout the day.

Comfortable shoes:

Your shoes will be your saving grace by the end of each day, so be sure to bring a pair or two that you feel comfortable walking several thousands of steps in.

Appropriate Attire:

While business casual attire is often recommended at re:Invent, there can be many interpretations of what is appropriate. Our advice is to pack clothing that you would feel confident wearing should you run into your boss or someone you wish to impress. Jeans are perfectly acceptable in either case, but make sure to use good judgement overall when selecting your attire for sessions, dinners and parties you plan to attend.

Cash:

In addition to needing cash for meals on the go, bar tabs or that faux diamond-encrusted figurine you’ve been eyeing in the gift shop, you’ll want to bring a little extra cash if you plan to try your luck at the casinos. There are ATMs on the casino floors, but they typically charge a service fee in the amount of $3-$5 in addition to your bank’s own service fees.

Notebook & Pen/Pencil:

It’s always a good idea to bring a good ole’ fashioned notebook with you to your sessions. Not only is it a fail-proof way to capture the handy tips and tricks you’ll be learning, it’s also the quietest way to track those notable items that you don’t want to forget. Think about it – if 100 people in your breakout session were all taking notes on a laptop, it would be pretty distracting. Be bold. Be respectful. Be the guy/gal that uses paper and a pen.

A Few Final Thoughts

Whether this is your first trip to AWS re:Invent or you’re a seasoned re:Invent pro, you’re sure to walk away with an increased knowledge of how cloud computing can better help your business, tips and tricks for navigating new AWS products and features, and a week’s worth of memories that will last a lifetime. We hope you make the most of your re:Invent 2017 experience and take advantage of the incredible education and networking opportunities that AWS has in store this year.

Last but certainly not least, we hope you take a moment during your busy week to visit 2nd Watch in booth #1104 of the Expo Hall where we will be showcasing our customers’ successes. You can explore 2nd Watch’s Managed Cloud Solutions, pick up a coveted 2nd Watch t-shirt and find out how you can win one of our daily contest giveaways—a totally custom, totally rad 2nd Watch skateboard!

Expert Tip: Make sure you get time with one of 2nd Watch’s Cloud Journey Masters while at re:Invent. Plan ahead and schedule a meeting with one of 2nd Watch’s AWS Professional Certified Architects, DevOps, or Engineers. Last but not least, 2nd Watch will be hosting its annual re:Invent after party on Wednesday, November 29. If you haven’t RSVP’d for THE AWS re:Invent Partner Party, click here to request to be added to our waitlist. We look forward to seeing you at AWS re:Invent 2017!